Exercising device.



R. A. ROHRER.

EXERGISING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEBA, 1911.

1,014,774, Patented Jam 16,1912.

,WITNESSES INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.,wAsH|NnTON, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH A. ROI-IRER, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXERCISING- DEVICE.

Application filed February 4, 1911.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedJ an. 16, 1912.

Serial No. 606,483. v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH A. ROHRER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of Altoona, county of Blair, and State taching the same to projections in walls,

doors, etc.

My device can be rolled up and put in ones pocket or in an ordinary traveling mans grip.

A further object of my invention is to reduce the cost of manufacture so that it will be within the reach of everybody.

With this and other objects in view my invention consists of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawingfin which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the entire device. Fig. 2 1s a perspective view of one of the hand grips. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of one of the hand grips.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

My device consists of an elastic cord 1, which passes around the sheave of the pulley 3, and has means for attaching it to the hand grips 2, 2 at each end. Any form of fastening means can be used, but I prefer to have a hook on the hand grip 2, such as is shown at 11, and an eye attached to each end of the cord. The sheave 3 is provided with a swivel l and to this swivel 4: is attached a hook 5. This can be done by having the hook and swivel integral, as shown, or it may be done by having an eye attached to the swivel and the hook attached to the eye of the swivel. It is my purpose to provide three sizes of hooks with each device so that the hook will fit any door hinge projection or other permanent fastening in the room. My object in doing this is to avoid the necessity of driving nails, screw-eyes or hooks into the walls, so that the exercising device can be used in any room where the party desiring to take the exercise may be. The elastic cord 1 can be replaced by a rolled spring, or similar device. The main frame of the hand grip is made of one piece of wire doubled in the middle and bent up in the shape of a hook, as shown at 11. It is then turned outwardly inopposite directions, as shown at 10, 10 Fig. 3, and then upwardly to form the sides 6, 6. It is next bent at right angles to the sides 6, 6, so asto form the upper cross bar 7 Instead of merely meeting 'in'the center, the two ends extend over each other and each of them is cut out so as to form a semi circular piece in order that the two ends over-lapping will make the same sized bearing as the wire itself. Balls of wood, rubber or other material, such as shown at 17 Figs.

2 and 3, are loosely held on the crossbar 7 .and are freely rotatable independent of each other; This forms the main grip for the hand. Near the center of the grip is another cross bar 14, which has the upper ends of springs 12, 12 attached to it by means of coils, which are prevented from slipping offthe cross bar by washers 15, or integral pieces 15, on the ends of the cross bar 145. The preferable way of attaching this cross bar is to form it with a head at oneend and then pass it through the eye of onev of the springs 12, slip a number of balls 18, which are similar to those shown at 17, over the bar, pass the other end through the eye on the opposite spring 12, and secure a washer 15 by riveting on the opposite end of the bar 14:. This will not only form' a grip for the springs 12, 12, but will also act as a holding means for retaining the side bars 6, 6 in position and prevent spreading. The two end balls 18 are cut out in the center in order to allow free rotation over' the washers 15, and the ends of the springs 12. The remaining balls are freely rotatable on the bar 14, together or independent of each other. The lower end of the springs 12, 12 are secured to the cross bar 10.

From this description it will be readily seen that in using the exercising device the hook 5 is put over the upper end of the door hinge for instance, and the cross bar having the balls 17 grasped in each hand. In this way it can be used as the ordinary form of exercising device, and on account of the swivel 4 motions in all directions are freely made without causing twisting of the elastic. By attaching the hook to the upper hinge you can get the benefit of the downward pull, the same as you get the benefit of the upward pull by attaching it to the lower hinge of the door. v

If it is desired to use the gripping'musoles at the same time as the muscles of the arm and chest, the operator grasps the balls l8 on the cross bar 14 With his fingers and hooks his thumb over the balls 17 on the cross bar 7. The springs 12, 12 operate independent of the elastic cord 1 and by this means the gripping muscles can: be exercised at the same time as the muscles of the arm and chest. The object of using the balls and making them independently rotatable is to prevent friction onv the fingers and hand, Which'causes blisters and callous to form.

Another use of the hand grip is for massage. Indoing this the grip is detached fromthe elastic cord and grasped With the thumbihookedover the cross bar 10 and the fingers over the balls 18. The balls 17 are then held in contact with the parts of: the body to be massaged and the device movedup and down.

' I' am aWarethat prior to my invention there have been a number of exercising devices made Which employ an elastic cord or spring. They also use hand grips of differrotatably mounted upon said cross bar and elasticconnections between the ends of the movable cross bar and the end of the frame,

substantiallyas described.

2. In a hand grip for exercising devices,

the combination of a. frame, a plurality of balls rotatably mounted upon one end of said frame, a movable cross bar intermediate the ends of said frame, balls rotatably mounted upon said cross bar, springs surrounding the sides of said frame and attached atone end to the end of the frame and at the other end tothe movable cross bar, thereby holding the sides of the frame together, substantially as described.

RALPH A. ROHRER. Witnesses:

LUCY HILEMA-N, LULU Gr. CUNNINGHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained'for five centsieach, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, I

Washington, D. G. I 

